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Portrait of Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev By Vasily Perov (1872) Picture source Young Man to Middle-Aged Man: ‘You had content but no force.’ Middle-Aged Man to Young Man: ‘And you have force but no content.’ – (The original epigraph to Fathers and Children which was later omitted.) From Henry James’ 1903 article on Turganev: Nothing that […]
This final section covers from Arkady’s and Bazarov’s trip to visit Bazarov’s parents to the end of the book. The translation I’m reading is by Michael R. Katz so all quotes will come from his version, while the translation by Richard Hare can be found here. Characters Characters introduced in this section: Vasily Ivanych Bazarov—Bazarov’s […]
Picture source Approximately the middle third of the book, this section covers Arkady’s and Bazarov’s trips to the town of *** and the Nikolskoe estate, ending as they are about to leave for Bazarov’s parents’ manor. The translation I’m reading is by Michael R. Katz so all quotes will come from his version. CharactersAdditional characters […]
Turgenev’s fatherThe novel is relatively short, but there is so much to sort through that I’ll probably have three posts to discuss it. Online resources can be found in this post. I am reading the translation by Michael R. Katz, so all quotes will come from his version. Characters For those unfamiliar with the story […]
First edition in English, Translated by Eugene Schuyler. New York: Leypoldt and Holt, 1867.Note: I am moving this post from July 23rd to here so it is closer to the discussion posts. I feel I should spend a moment on the title, which has been a problem since the first English translation. The Russian title […]
The cover of Classic Comics No. 10, April 1943 Picture sourceI had trouble trying to discuss Robinson Crusoe, mainly because there are so many ways you can approach the work. One point I would hope to convey is that this is not just a kid’s book or a clichéd movie theme…the original work is worth […]
Map of Robinson Crusoe’s Island Illustration by Clark and Pine, from the 1719 first English edition You are not to take it, if you please, as the saying of an ignorant man, when I express my opinion that such a book as Robinson Crusoe never was written, and never will be written again. I have […]
No, not the setting of the book, although that is important, too… I am sure other readers, when a book is mentioned, think back to where they were or their personal circumstances when first encountering that work. I was able to go hiking and exploring this past weekend thanks to my wonderful wife. Images similar […]
Robinson Crusoe first edition (1719) Picture sourceA story can be so firmly cemented as a cultural touchstone that you think you know it without having ever read it. Part of my interest in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe comes from wanting to see what is consistent and what is different from my expectations. I was planning […]
Convergence combines career advice with commercial fiction in a novel about 4 young scientists striving for academic success. Each journey takes many twists and turns as these researchers make significant discoveries, under impossible conditions, while dealing with unscrupulous colleagues. To keep their careers alive, however, they are in the end forced to consider something that […]